Lorena Pérez Herrera, a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to prison this Saturday for her role in a multimillion-dollar money laundering network.
Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Pérez Herrera, 29, to two years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiring to participate in a money laundering scheme involving several members.
Additionally, Judge Maddox ordered Herrera to pay US$1,473,125.58 in compensation.
Herrera, who pleaded guilty to participating in the money laundering conspiracy in March 2025, admitted that nearly $1.5 million in money laundering transactions occurred as a result of his direct participation in the conspiracy.
Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence along with Commanding Special Agent Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Commanding Special Agent Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) – Washington, DC Office; and Acting Special Agent in Command George Golliday of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG).
According to court documents, from 2020 until November 2023, Herrera conspired with several individuals to launder proceeds from large-scale wire fraud.
The co-conspirators engaged in various financial transactions to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the wire fraud proceeds while carrying out the conspiracy.
Victims included government agencies, organizations and companies, including an environmental trust, a redevelopment program, a medical center, a transportation and logistics company, a school district, a university, and the county administration, among others.
Herrera and his accomplices collaborated to create limited liability companies that served as fictitious entities; open bank accounts or cause them to be opened in the name of such entities; and receiving and laundering the proceeds of fraud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland had previously charged 14 defendants in connection with the money laundering conspiracy. Thirteen have pleaded guilty.
Faizou Gnora, 28, formerly of Alexandria, Virginia, remains a fugitive from justice.
In connection with this proceeding, Adanegbe Gift Osemwenkhae, age 39, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Emily Gil Arias, 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Fatoumata Boiro, 32, of Largo, Maryland; Lawrence Ogunsanwo, 33 years old; Lakeisha Parker, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland; Martin Ogisi, 37, of Severn, Maryland; Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; and Kevin Colon, 34, of Curtis Bay, Maryland, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Agbeyome also admitted to aggravated criminal impersonation, and Parker admitted to participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of their plea agreements, Gift and Sowe admitted that they acted as principals or supervisors of the money laundering conspiracy.
The global conspiracy involved the laundering of more than $20 million and affected more than 15 different victim entities.
